Hemel Hempstead shoppers urged to remain vigilant when buying online

Police are reminding Hemel Hempstead residents to be cautious as the number of people shopping online increases ahead of the festive season.

Last year 54 local residents reported falling victim to online fraud in November and December, losing a combined total of £27,413.

Across the country as a whole this figure was over £13 million and this year, due to the pandemic, the number of people shopping online is set to increase.

Detective Inspector Rob Burns, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “At this time of year people are hoping to pick up bargains and are rushing to get their Christmas shopping started.

"Fraudsters take advantage of this by sending out emails offering items for sale at bargain prices, with links to fake websites or with no intention of supplying the goods you pay for.

“It’s always best to use established retailers and make sure you visit their website directly rather than by clicking links in emails, text messages etc.

"If you are thinking of buying from a retailer unfamiliar to you, make sure you do your research.

"Check out reviews of the company online, visit their website and check if they have an address and phone number.”

Keep yourself safe when shopping online by following these tips:

- Ensure that any online retailer unfamiliar to you is reputable by researching them. Check the authenticity of the website before making any purchases. Conduct a ‘whois’ search to identify when the website was created, be wary of newly formed domains. You can conduct this search using WHOIS.- Establish a physical address and telephone contact details. Carry out online research in relation to the website, company name and address to identify any poor feedback or possible irregularities.

- Remember that the best way to find a reputable retailer is via recommendation from a trusted source.

- Payments made via bank transfer are not protected if you do not receive the item.

- Remember that paying by credit card offers greater protection than with other payment methods in terms of fraud, guarantees and non-delivery.

- Before entering payment card details on a website, ensure that the link is secure, in three ways:

- There should be a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, which appears when you attempt to log in or register. Be sure that the padlock is not on the page itself ... this will probably indicate a fraudulent site.

- The web address should begin with ‘https://’. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.

- If using the latest version of your browser, the address bar or the name of the site owner will turn green.

For more advice on staying safe online visit: www.herts.police.uk/protectyourmoney.

If you have been a victim of fraud report it to www.actionfraud.police.uk or you can contact herts.police.uk/report or call 101.